Editorial: Accused Spring Valley officials should step down

Apr. 3, 2013

Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin / John Meore/The Journal News

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| A Journal News editorial

A sign announcing that a community center was 'Coming Soon' is seen Tuesday in Spring Valley near Village Hall. It was dismantled shortly after indictments were announced that linked the project to a wide-ranging bribery scandal. / Ricky Flores/The Journal News

Reaction to a bribery and corruption scandal involving Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin, Deputy Mayor Joseph Desmaret, state Sen. Malcolm Smith and three others:“And I moved to Rockland County for front-row seats at this sleazy political mosh pit. Bring on the Feds.” — Chuck McCullagh (via lohud.com)“For violating the public trust, they must resign office immediately.” — Dave Rock (via lohud.com)“Should be fired, no benefits, no pensions.” — Danni Kerrigan (via lohud.com)“I’m sorry but I don’t trust any politicians. They lie their way into office. Once they’re voted in they do nothing but raise property taxes and give themselves raises.” — Terri Pileggi-Marcoux (via Facebook)“I am shocked and disappointed reading this.” — Kathryn McCartin (via lohud.com)“Such contrast. While the Spring Valley mayor and deputy were being arrested Tuesday morning, just a short walk away the Rockland Interfaith Breakfast Program at United Church, now 28 years old, continued to serve. The dignity of its participants, the immediacy of their needs and the hopes of their humanity stand in utter contrast to those crimes and misdeeds charged to ‘public’ officials.” — Arthur Henry Gunther III (via lohud.com)“ ... We see stadiums built with taxpayer money after the people vote it down. We see amazingly special treatment for groups that vote as a bloc … . We see property taxes on average homes rivaling those on the estates of the rich elsewhere. We see public employees being made rich in exchange for their precious votes, as we struggle to pay the bills. Since we are paying for the stones, we can cast them.” — Tony Francis (via lohud.com)Join the conversation at LoHud.com and Facebook.com/LoHud, on the blog at opinionexchange.lohudblogs.com, and on Twitter at @LoHudOpinion or by tweeting with the hashtag #LoHudOpinion.

Desmaret / Peter Carr/The Journal News

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Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin and Deputy Mayor Joseph Desmaret, both charged in this week’s public corruption case, are entitled to their defense and the presumption of innocence. What they are not entitled to is holding onto their posts while so obviously preoccupied and compromised. Troubled Spring Valley demands undistracted leadership, attention the pair can no longer provide. They should leave and leave now.

Word so far out of Village Hall is that both will persist, despite the multiple charges against them; they allegedly sold their support for a bogus community project to an FBI agent masquerading as a developer. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Tuesday their wrongful conduct was part of a broad public corruption scheme that reached heavy-hitters in New York City and state politics. Neither official does Spring Valley any favor by staying on.

'I pick you'

Jasmin, mayor since 2009, called a press conference Wednesday morning and uttered a short, sobering statement: “Good morning, I’m Mayor Noramie Jasmin … I am asking the community not to prejudge me rather to keep me in their prayer(s) ... for my good name to be restore(d).” She employed much more evocative language, according to a federal complaint, when seeking a 50 percent stake in the bogus development she sought to push through the village board. According to documents, she told the government’s cooperating witness: “The one (project) that I like I’m going to pick. So, if I like yours, I pick you ... . If I don’t like it you can stick (it) where the sun doesn’t shine.” For his part, Desmaret has offered no explanation to constituents.

Prosecutors say the Spring Valley probe unraveled a wider and more fantastic scheme — an effort by the former leader of the state Senate Democrats to bribe his way onto the Republican ballot for New York City mayor. A total of six political and government leaders were arrested Tuesday, with the prospect for more arrests to come. The roundup included Bronx GOP Chairman Joseph “Jay” Savino, whose hiring by Clarkstown in 2012 to handle tax certioraris engendered accusations of crony politics. The Clarkstown Town Board met Tuesday after the fraud scheme was announced and fired Savino, who is charged with conspiracy and wire fraud.

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Complex, needy village

Even before this maelstrom, Spring Valley faced considerable challenges. Poverty and clashing community interests are major burdens. The village is home to about 30,000 residents from varied backgrounds — some 40 ethnicities are represented. At least half the village’s residents are of Haitian descent. Jasmin’s Haitian roots were hailed in 2009, when she became the state’s first Haitian mayor. Desmaret has led relief missions to Haiti with the Ramapo Haitian Task Force.

The rich diversity is Spring Valley’s strength, and sometimes its detriment, as tensions can erupt from so many communities, and interests, jam-packed into the 2-square-mile village. There also is a growing Latino community, and a significant Hasidic and Orthodox Jewish community, plus a strong Jamaican and African-American presence. The mostly working-class residents are also burdened by a school district, East Ramapo, that has suffered round after round of crippling staff and program cuts.

Spring Valley has also suffered from a succession of poor leaders. Jasmin’s mentor, George Darden, and fellow former mayor Allan Thomspon were known as brash and impatient leaders. And even before her new woes, Jasmin’s performance was below par at best; she had done little to improve prospects in the village. Nothing supports the view that either she or Desmaret can do any better with the might of the U.S. Attorney’s Office now arrayed against them.

Problematic leadership

Specific moves by Jasmin have engendered heavy criticism: The village stopped employing an animal control officer in 2011, a bad move for a dense, urban village. After taking office, she chose a $46,000 SUV for her official vehicle, setting of a firestorm of criticism in a village that struggled with high unemployment and shuttered businesses even before the Great Recession.

In 2012, Jasmin and village trustees gave themselves significant salary bumps — an 8.5 percent hike for Jasmin, up to $125,000, for the full-time mayoral post (more than some town supervisors); and a 20.6 percent jump, to $25,700, for the part-time trustees.

And even before this week’s drama, Jasmin faced criticism for her stewardship of the village, including its urban renewal efforts. Now, the same urban renewal effort is directly linked to the expansive corruption case. Spring Valley’s troubles mount with the new crisis, but these compromised officials are ill-suited to lead.

Spring Valley needs government servants laser-focused on the village’s problems, not their own.